Indian police in New Delhi have used tear gas and water cannons to break up
demonstrations by thousands of people protesting against the gang rape of a
23-year-old woman on a bus, despite a ban on large gatherings.

12:30PM GMT 23 Dec 2012

The Indian government had banned gatherings of more than five people on Sunday, but the protests continued.

Police in riot gear used tear gas and batons to hold crowds back from marching on the presidential palace, just as they did the day before in clashes that media reports said injured more than two dozen protesters.

A large crowd of people were seen protesting at the historical monument 'India gate' in New Delhi, shouting anti-government slogans and holding placards seeking justice and respect for women.

Doctors said the 23-year-old victim of last week's attack, who was beaten, raped for almost an hour and thrown out of a moving bus in New Delhi, was still in a critical condition on respiratory support but responding to treatment.

"Every 22 minutes a rape is committed, and India's Interior Minister says that he doesn't feel the need to do anything in this case. What more shameful thing can happen to people that their sisters and daughters are in danger?" said Sisodia.

New Delhi has the highest number of sex crimes among India's major cities, with a rape reported on average every 18 hours, according to police figures.

Most sexual assaults go unreported and unremarked, but the brutality of last week's attack triggered the biggest protests in the capital since mid-2011 demonstrations against corruption that rocked the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The protesters, predominantly college students but also housewives and even children, are demanding more steps from the authorities to ensure safety for women and some want the death penalty for the accused of the bus gang rape.

Since last week's rape, the authorities have promised better police patrolling to ensure safety for women returning from work and entertainment districts, the installation of GPS on public transport vehicles, more buses at night, and fast-track courts for swift verdicts on cases of rape and sexual assault.

There are reports that a television journalist was shot dead on Sunday in Imphal, Manipur, when police opened fire during a protest against a sexual assault on an actress, an official said.